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Helpful or Hurtful?

Let ruin overtake them unawares;let the snare they have set catch them;let them fall into the pit they have dug.

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When I was toddler teacher I once went to a training that addressed tattle telling. We were instructed to ask the children if in telling on their friend/siblings they were trying to be helpful or hurtful. I loved this and applied it to my relationship with my children as well as to my own personal experiences. Am I being helpful or hurtful? In other words what is my true intent? What do I hope will be the consequences of my actions? Admittedly, it is not always a noble one. This can be difficult because when someone hurts you it is instinctive to hurt them back. Just ask any two year old. No matter. We cannot run around inflicting pain because we are the victims of it. We have to trust in God, that his will be done. Good will prevail and the unjust will receive their due.

When those moments occur where I want to lash out and give someone a piece of my mind, sometimes I do the honorable thing and pray on it. Other times, I may not be so honorable. Let’s hope for more prayerful moments and less reactive ones 🙂

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1 thought on “Helpful or Hurtful?”

Great rule of thumb! Unfortunately, I stink at figuring out (even through prayer) if I am being helpful or hurtful. I sincerely think I am being helpful – I would want someone to tell ME, but that truth bites me in the butt. So, I have found myself saying nothing now – observing everything, correcting very little.

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